Huh.....

Almost arrested at the voting poll

Today I was almost arrested at the voting poll. Can you believe it? Ok well I was threatened with arrest -- but same dif! 8ish a.m. this morning I rolled up to the high school gym I was sent to vote in. I waited in line #1 for about 20 minutes and then was taken aside with the other P through Z's to get the instruction on how to use the voting machines. Once that tid bit was over, we were directed to go stand in line #2 to get check off the list of P through Z names. I was successfully checked off and tossed in to line #3 to wait for my access code so I could get vote for President! Well it was quite a wait before I noticed these wonderful American poll volunteers were having technical difficulties with the voting machines. No one was currently voting at any of the machines, the line was getting longer, more and more confused looking volunteers were crowding around the access code table.. plugging and unplugging things. I decided it would be a good time to return the call from my office I'd received just earlier while I wait. Suddenly, a Diana Ross look alike storms over to me, points, and yells, "Hey! Do you want me to call the police? Huh?? Do you want to be arrested today?!" Make no mistake little "Diana" had a huge voice that rumbled thunderously with the help of gymnasium acoustics. I politely responded with a confused and frightened, "No Ma'am." She then moved on to unsuspecting victim number two, also standing in line #3, pointed and said to her, "Do you want me to call the police?!" Victim #2 replied by admitting that she did not know that cell phone use was restricted to which "Diana" pointed out that a sign is posted. It was posted on an 8"X11" piece of copy paper at the very tippy top of the 10 foot door frame at the gymnasium entrance. It was also posted on similar copy paper at one of the 7 tables in the gym. You know -- the one with a variety of pamphlets that we were hurried past when instructed to stand in line #2. If I wasn't on the verge of peeing my pants from fear I'd have suggested to little "Diana" that they:

1. Move the sign to a more visible location(s)
2. Put the restricted cell phone message on a larger, or poster board, sized sign
3. Mention it during the lesson on how to vote
4. Try to practice a bit more patience with fellow Americans trying to peacefully exercise their right to vote.

Lastly: I feel badly for "Diana". See it was only 8:44am on the biggest voting day in 4 years and I'm a white English speaking American. I am a minority in my neighborhood. I simply didn't see the sign and I'm quite certain many of my neighbors couldn't even understand what language it was written in. I think Diana had a long day. I wonder how many excited new voters she actually had arrested?

posted by Jessiedc28 @ 5:13 PM